Michael Bisping aiming to fight again in early 2013

UFC middleweight Michael Bisping is sitting pretty at the moment with wins in five of his last six fights and the only loss involving a questionable decision against the man many saw as the #2 185-pounder in MMA, Chael Sonnen. He’s also one of the organization’s most popular competitors and comes with the added bonus of being able to sell his match-ups in the media.

However, rather than twiddle his thumbs or rest on his laurels, Bisping wants to get back in the Octagon in the next few months. While a bout against the winner of a December 29 dance featuring Chris Weidman/Tim Boetsch would make sense, “The Count” is concerned about the amount of time he might have to wait before getting the green light even if he’s confident he would easily handle either adversary.

“I match up really well with both of them,” bragged Bisping in an interview with ESPN. “Weidman’s stand-up is very, very poor – it’s not good at all. He’s a very good wrestler, very good grappler, but I do well against those guys. I’d get back to my feet and knock him out. Boetsch I don’t particularly rank at all. He’s just a tough bastard! I’d have my way with him all day.”

“So if I played it smart I’d wait for them to fight at the end of the year, maybe fight the winner in March/April, but I’m not prepared to do that,” he concluded. “This is the way I make a living and I want to fight. I want to fight somebody else in the mean time. I’ll take my chance. If I win, great. If I lose, I don’t deserve a title shot anyway. I want to fight in January or February. I’d like to fight three or four times a year.”

The 23-4 Bisping has been rumored for a rumble with Vitor Belfort in mid-January at the UFC’s next stop in Brazil. While nothing has been officially announced on that front, the possibility was confirmed this week in a report citing head honcho Dana White on UFC Tonight.

“This is the way I make a living and I want to fight. I want to fight somebody else in the mean time. I’ll take my chance. If I win, great. If I lose, I don’t deserve a title shot anyway. I want to fight in January or February. I’d like to fight three or four times a year.”